On January 23, 2023, some members of the Bridger Family Association gathered at St. Luke’s Church in Smithfield, Virginia for the exhumation of Anne Randall from her grave in the chancel, next to the grave of Joseph Bridger. Their remains were moved from the Whitemarsh cemetery to the church in 1894.
When Joseph Bridger was exhumed in 2007, only partial remains were found. It was hoped that more of his remains might be in Anne’s grave. Unfortunately, only a few bones were found, and their early analysis does not indicate that they are from Joseph.
Anne Randall was an aunt of Hester Pitt Bridger.
Learn more and view the St. Luke’s video about the Anne Randall Project.
![(Above: Kneeling at the open area next to Anne Randall’s grave is [left] Dr. Doug Owsley of the Smithsonian Institution; [middle] Jean Tomes, president and founder of the Bridger Family Association; and [right] Bill Carrell, vice president and co-founder of the BFA.)](https://www.bridgerfamilyassociation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2023_AnneRandall1.jpeg "(Above: Kneeling at the open area next to Anne Randall’s grave is [left] Dr. Doug Owsley of the Smithsonian Institution; [middle] Jean Tomes, president and founder of the Bridger Family Association; and [right] Bill Carrell, vice president and co-founder of the BFA.)")
(Above: Kneeling at the open area next to Anne Randall’s grave is [left] Dr. Doug Owsley of the Smithsonian Institution; [middle] Jean Tomes, president and founder of the Bridger Family Association; and [right] Bill Carrell, vice president and co-founder of the BFA.)